The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Aldara Gaea
Summary: It's Christmas time! Edward decides to surprise Bella by giving her gifts for the twelve days of Christmas... what could he possibly have in mind? Enjoy some Christmas-time-with-the-Cullens fluff. Please read and review!
1. First Day

_**A/N – **__lols, this is just a bit of Christmas fluff to get everyone in the spirit of the festive season. The idea for this occurred to me at work and I found it so amusing that I couldn't get it out of my head. Of course, this is set after Bella's transformation (come on people, it's not even a matter of when? anymore!). I was originally intending on posting this one chapter every day until Christmas Eve, but work doesn't wait. I'll try hard to have this done by Monday, though! Enjoy the fluffiness – don't forget to review!!_

_**Disclaimer - **I do not own any of these characters. I am simply exerting my creative tendencies in this fantastic world that Stephenie Meyer has created. This applies for this entire fic, 'cause I'm mucho too lazy to keep writing it every chapter!!_

_**29 December 2007 - **It has been very graciously pointed out to me that I have made a few errors in regard to when the Twelve Days of Christmas actually occur in the calendar. So, I have made the appropriate changes. This means that the story has been altered a little - I hope it still works!!

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**The First Day of Christmas**

_On the first day of Christmas  
my Edward gave to me_

The twenty-fifth of December dawned cloudy and cold. Not that I noticed the cold anymore – not in the sense that it hindered my ability to function normally, anyway. It was Christmas Day. I snuggled a little closer to Edward in our bed and closed my eyes, revelling in the sound of the gentle carols from his stereo and his smooth voice that washed over me. Although I didn't need to sleep anymore, Edward and I still often spent our nights curled up together in his large, gold bed. It was as good a way to pass time as any, and it was nice just to be alone together for a little while.

Edward kissed my hair and chuckled. I looked up at his amused expression and he touched his lips to mine briefly.

"Huh?"

"I said, Alice needs me to go into town with her today," he repeated.

My eyebrow rose sceptically. "Today? What on _earth _could she _possibly _need to do on _Christmas Day_?"

Edward's expression gave me the impression that he was trying very hard not to say something. He pursed his lips and paused a moment before answering. I saw he was also repressing a smile. "I think she needed to visit someone..."

I shook my head and tightened my hold on him, knowing that he wouldn't easily get away unless I let him. Edward finally allowed himself to laugh when I pouted at him.

"You're going to leave me?" I simpered, trying a different tactic. "What will I do while you're gone?"

Edward's hands brushed against my cheeks and I marvelled at the texture of his skin against my own, no longer icy cold but smoother than silk. Everytime he touched me, it was like the first time and I forgot all else. I felt myself melting into him, my eyes closed lazily and I waited for his lips to meet mine to complete the perfect moment. He rolled off the bed, and was standing at my feet before I could recover.

"That's not fair, Edward." I pouted at him from the bed.

He shrugged, his smile unrepentant. I leaped at him, trying to catch him in a tight hug, but he sidestepped me at the last second and I ended up sprawled on the floor. Unfortunately, not all of my klutziness had disappeared with my humanity.

"Fine then," I huffed, sitting cross-legged on the floor and folding my arms tightly across my chest. "Go mingle with those _humans._ I hope they smell so good that Alice has to hog tie you so that you'll come back."

Edward's eyes were reproachful as he shook his head at me and crouched down beside me. Like a petulant child, I refused to look at him. He sighed stood up again.

"I guess I'll just have to leave without a goodbye kiss," he said regretfully, walking to the door. "I'll see you when I get back, Bella."

The door closed quietly and I watched the handle, listening carefully for his quiet footsteps. All was silent. My forehead creased and I struggled with the sentimental part myself, trying desperately not to give in to the urge to go after him and say goodbye properly. I lost.

With a sigh, I jumped up and wrenched the door open. He must have been walking very slowly – he was only at the top of the stairs. I flew to him and wrapped him in my arms.

"I'll miss you," I muttered into his shoulder.

"You won't even notice I'm gone," he assured. "Esme is going to decorate the house today – she always waits until the first day of Christmas to decorate. I am sure she would love your help."

"The first day of Christmas?" I asked, more to keep him with me longer than out of any real curiosity.

I felt him shrug. "It's an old tradition," he explained. "Anyway, because of it we usually wait until Christmas Day to put up decorations. It's not like it takes us very long, and gifts aren't really supposed to be opened until Boxing Day. Carlisle likes to stick to the old rules - he tends to be a little nostalgic like that sometimes. You will help her won't you?"

I pressed my lips to his neck and hummed indecisively.

"And, I have a surprise for you when I come home, too," he told me.

I looked up at him in surprise and his eyes sparkled mischievously. He knew how much I hated surprises – how could he do this to me? Then again, it was Christmas. I should have been expecting something. Quickly, he kissed me on the lips and slipped my arms from around his neck.

"Alice is about to bounce up here and drag me away if I don't hurry up," he said, turning away. "I'll see you soon – I promise!"

I stood at the top of the stairs and watched Edward fly down to meet Alice. As they walked out the door, Alice turned back and waved goodbye. I stuck out my tongue and I could hear her tinkling laugh over the purr of Edward's Volvo outside.

oOo

It only took me two minutes of standing dejectedly on the stairs before I decided that I would get very bored if I just stayed there until Edward came back. So, I went looking for Esme.

Eventually, I found her in the attic, sifting through boxes. Already, there was tinsel and fairy lights littering the floor around her, and she smiled at me when she realised I was there.

"Oh, Bella, there you are dear. Edward said that he and Alice were going to head into town for a little while," she said, giving me a knowing look.

"I don't see what could be so urgent," I muttered, picking up several strings of beads that were tangled into a giant clump. "For goodness sake, it's Christmas." Esme's eye twinkled and she smiled at me mysteriously, as if she knew something that I didn't. I caught the look with surprise.

"You know what they're doing?" I asked, suspicious. "Is this about that surprise that Edward was talking about before?"

Esme laughed softly and patted my shoulder, that twinkling smile still lighting her heart shaped face.

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise dear," she said gently. "Now why don't we head down and start hanging these decorations?"

The rest of the morning was pleasant. Esme's sweet nature made her easy to work with, and she didn't feel the need to fill quiet gaps of time with idle chatter, which left me free to mull over my own thoughts. Edward's absence always gave me plenty to think about.

Even though I'd now been a vampire for over four months, and Edward had been back in my life for nearly a year, it was still difficult for me to be away from him for any given length of time. I knew it was ridiculous and pathetic, but there was still a, now miniscule, part of me that wondered if he was going to come back. However, as the only time I couldn't go with him somewhere was if it was near humans, we weren't often apart anymore so it wasn't something that I had to think about very often.

I was just finishing winding the final touches of tinsel around the wooden posts of the banister when I heard two cars pull up in the driveway. My brow creased in confusion – I recognised the quiet growl that was Edward's silver Volvo, but the gentle hum of the second was unfamiliar. Who on earth could they have brought home with them? I was sure that it didn't belong to Tanya or any one from her clan in Denali, the closest town to us. It could be one of their other vampire contacts, though why any of them would need a car was beyond me, and I nervously hoped that they hadn't absentmindedly brought home a human friend…

Just as I had decided to move outside and find out who this mystery car driver was, Edward appeared at the door and ran up the stairs to meet me. His face was lit by the most angelic smile, and I couldn't help but smile in return – even as the suspicious thoughts returned.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me briefly.

I nodded, pushing back a few locks of his bronze hair that had fallen into his beautiful topaz eyes. I couldn't wait until my eyes would turn that colour – already I fancied that the brilliant blood red of my newborn eyes had faded to a duller crimson, standing out less dramatically in my now flawless face.

"I hope you and Alice saw everyone you needed to, because I'm not letting you leave again any time soon," I said firmly.

His answering smile turned mischievous and he chuckled, a little nervously I thought. I eyed him suspiciously and he avoided my gaze.

"Edward… who did you bring here?" I asked shrewdly. "If this is some stunt to get back at me for beating you in that race last week…"

Edward suppressed another laugh and shook his head, pulling a long piece of heavy black material. Before I had time to object, he spun me around and tied it across my eyes so that I was suddenly blind. I didn't struggle – he wanted to have his fun, and I wanted to get it over and done with. It was easier to just submit.

"I told you I had a surprise for you," he said, taking my hand tenderly and leading me down the stairs. "That's what Alice and I were doing – getting your surprise."

I felt the air around me suddenly drop in temperature and I knew we had stepped outside. Edward was humming a Christmas song – the Twelve Days of Christmas, I realised suddenly. He had to be kidding me. I absently hoped it wasn't a partrige - I imagined that their blood would be a little tasteless.

We stopped in the ankle-deep snow of the front yard. I could feel empty space all around me, sensing only Edward's body close by me.

"Before I let you look, you have to promise not to be annoyed in any way," he admonished. "It is Christmas, and this is my present to you." I heard Alice giggle, somewhere to my left and I growled quietly at her.

"Don't be such a worry-wart, Edward," she tittered, excitement dripping from her every word – I could almost see her bouncing on the spot in anticipation. "Just show her already!"

I didn't say anything, waiting in silent patience. If it was bad, it was already done and there was nothing I could do about it. I had already learned that scolding and threatening would not stop Edward from lavishly doting on me whenever he could. Besides, my silence was probably making him more anxious than if I were sprouting ultimatums. I felt his hands slowly untying the knot of the blindfold and the instant the heavy black cloth fell away from my face, my eyes snapped open.

For a moment, I simply stared at the object before me. In the corner of my eye, I could see Edward's anxious expression as he waited for my reaction and Alice was trying hard not to laugh. A slow smile crept onto my face and eventually turned to a quiet snigger as I continued to stare at my surprise, drinking in the sight of it.

Before me sat a brand new, shiny and very classy looking, midnight blue 2008 Audi TT Coupe. Yes, I even knew what year and model the car was – Edward had shown me a picture of it in Rosalie's latest issue of _Car and Driver_. It had been silver in the picture, and I had commented that it would look even nicer if it was blue. It did look even better – it was perfect. I loved it.

I turned to Edward, the smile still lingering on my face. He looked confused, and the expression was so rarely on his face that it was almost comical. I laughed again and raised an eyebrow.

"A car?" I asked mockingly. He nodded, evidently still unsure of how to take my reaction. "An _unreleased_ car?"

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but I stopped him from talking with a swift kiss. Edward seemed to realise that I wasn't going to get angry at him and he smiled down at me when we broke away, sweet relief radiating from him. I giggled.

"Well, are you going to give me the keys or not?"

_a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	2. Second Day

_**A/N - **YAY - a new chapter. Are you excited?? I was supposed to get it up last night... but Dad made me go to bed. Actually, it's a good thing that he did, because work was crazy today. Anywho, thanks sooooo ooooooooo oooooooo (lols) much for the reviews guys - keep em coming!!_

_**29 December 2007 - **Again, this chapter has been slightly modified to take into account the change of time-setting. Ejoy the edit!_

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**The Second Day of Christmas**

_On the second day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_  
Winter in Alaska was stunning – crisp white snow covered every surface like a thick layer of sugar icing, turning the forests into sparkling wonderlands when the sun shone. As a human, I had had very little liking for snow, but I soon found that I quite enjoyed it now. Perhaps the fact that I no longer noticed the cold or my heightened physical abilities had something to do with it. In any case, when the Boxing Day dawned bright and clear after the night's snow storm, I wasn't really very surprised that Edward challenged me to a snowball fight out in the middle of the forest.

We held hands as we flew away from the house – I had to control my speed so that I wouldn't leave Edward behind. It still amazed me that, all of a sudden, I was the one always having to hold back for him and I laughed, the ringing tones of my amusement bouncing about us in the forest. Edward looked at me quizzically and I shrugged.

"This all still feels so unreal," I explained, laughing again. "I mean, who would have thought that I'd be slowing down for you?"

Edward's eyebrow lifted sardonically and he increased his speed marginally. "You've been slowing down for me?"

I grinned, and abruptly changed my line of movement so that I tackled him to the ground, being careful not to squeeze him too hard. After my transformation, Jasper had been fantastic – he'd explained some of the finer details of my temporary strengths and weaknesses as a newborn vampire, and he was always so patient when I had another question.

"Only a little bit," I answered. I felt very powerful, with Edward pinned beneath me and knowing that he would have to put up a very big fight to get himself free again. I leant forward and kissed him. "Besides, I won't be stronger than you for very long, so I'm making the most of my every advantage while I can."

He tried to sit up and I shifted into the snow next to him. If we were human, our clothes would have been soaked through as a result of our body heat. Edward brushed away the glittering snow crystals that encrusted his back, grinning back at me with my favourite crooked smile.

"So you believe that your superior strength and speed will allow you to beat me in this snow fight?" he asked, clearly not convinced. I shrugged, smiling impishly.

"I seem to have most of the advantages here – I'm stronger and faster than you and you can't even read my mind to know what I might do next. Do I have all the facts straight?"

"Well…" he drawled, getting up from the snowy ground and circling me. I tried to look unconcerned. "You seem to have forgotten that I have much more experience than you do."

I shrugged again, though he did have a point. He also, whether deliberately or unthinkingly, had omitted the fact that I was still a little clumsy. I thought that was very gentlemanlike of him.

"Then, my dear, I believe this is where our paths divide," Edward said, rather formally. "I shall see you at the baseball clearing… covered in snowballs of course."

I smiled and jumped to my feet. "Yes – you will be covered in my snowballs!"

Edward shook his head and stepped up to me carefully, stopping with only inches between us. I looked up into his eyes and his face was challenging.

"You know the rules – first one to be hit by two snowballs out of three loses."

"You won't even have time to count them," I replied, then ran before he could blink, laughing wildly.

oOo

I crouched behind my tree, waiting. I knew that Edward was cocky enough that he would take his time getting here – possibly even going the long way round just so that he could prove a point. I was counting on it. As soon as I'd reached the large clearing, I'd hurried to build a round snow fort. It looked pretty good, if I did say so myself, but that was really beside the point – I was planning an ambush, and the fort was my bait.

The snowball I was holding was perfectly round, and I continued to roll it between my hands as I waited for Edward to arrive. The tree I was hiding behind was in a perfect position. There were just enough trees around me to conceal me from his view if he was passing by, and they were spaced just far enough apart that I could make a clean getaway if I needed to.

I smiled to myself, imagining his look of surprise when he realised I'd hit him first. Of course, there wouldn't be enough time for me to throw a second straight away – I'd need the time it took him to get over the shock to get away and lay my next trap. But he was taking an awfully long time…

Beginning to grow restless, I carefully moved my head to look further into the clearing. Edward was not to be seen anywhere. Maybe he'd seen my fort and decided to try an attack from a distance. Well, he could try all he liked – even given his vampire strength and eyesight, he wouldn't be able to throw the snowball far enough to reach it. I knew, I'd tried it.

There was a quiet rustle above me in the tree. Probably an owl or a squirrel – I didn't bother to look. I sighed, and put my back to the tree again, wishing that Edward would hurry up.

Two balls of icy snow smacked into my head.

A smug Edward followed them, landing lightly in front of and grinning with pleasure. I blinked up at him stupidly, the snow sliding into my face and Edward began to laugh at me.

"I do believe I won."

I continued to stare at him blankly as his self-congratulating laugh rang through the mountains. Eventually, I had the sense to shake the snow off me and stand slowly. His laughter had died down by now, though he still emmitted the occasional chuckle. Seemingly on a sudden impulse, he kissed me soundly on the lips.

When he pulled away, Edward's the malicious edge of his smile had softened.

"Merry Christmas," he said. "I hope you liked your present - shall we go see what everyone else got for you?"

"Some present," I mumbled, but I allowed him to pull me after him and we ran back to the house to enjoy the rest of our Boxing Day.

_Two __Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	3. Third Day

_**A/N - **Ohhhh, you aughta feel REALLY special now - two posts in the same day!! This one is kinda short and sweet. Teehee, Bella is so very clueless sometimes... maybe she'll get it eventually. I'd like to send a special shout-out to everyone who's reviewed so far - _EdwardCullenBelongsWithMe, nessie-poo, Angelz on Edge, Mundane Conversation, yumi2482, tinkapjill40, harryedwardgirl93 _and_ Spinnerofdreams. _Thanks so mucho guys!!! It's great to have your support, and I'd be so glad for any suggestions you and anyone else might have that I could include in here. Man, I'm having so much fun writing this. I LUFF TWILIGHT FLUFF!! Read, review and Enjoy kiddies!!_

_**29 December 2007 - **Again, again, I have slightly altered a few details to make this chapter work. Please tell me if I've missed anything in this or the previous chapters, or if something still doesn't work right. _

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**The Third Day of Christmas**

_On the third day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
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I love Christmas. I always have, and I think that I always will. The lights, the trees, the snow, the carols – the presents – I love all of it. Except for writing out Christmas cards.

It's not that I don't like spreading the Christmas cheer, or letting people know that I love and appreciate them. But, no matter how much I think about what I'm going to write, or even how _much_ I write, it never feels like enough. And this year was even worse – a card and a present, and my Christmas Eve phone call, was all anyone but the Cullens were going to get from me. That hurt.

But, as much as I hated the dreaded task, I was going to do it anyway. And, even though it felt like a particularly heinous torture this year, I was going to try to do it with a smile on my face and make sure that everyone knew just how happy I was with Edward. Already I had put it off for far too long - I hoped that everyone would just think that I'd had no time yet or that the post had been overly conjested this year... and not realise that I'd been actively avoiding it.

I sat at the small desk in our room, a neat stack of sparkly cards at my left elbow, another stack of envelopes next to the cards, a pen in my hand and a list of names in front of me. I took a card and opened it – my pen poised. Even with vampire speed on my side, I realised that the job was going to end up taking me all day. Edward chuckled at me from the bed and I shot him a glare.

"I would offer to help," he apologised, "but you look so beautifully determined that I'd hate to ruin your concentration."

I sighed, and turned back to the card. Charlie's name jumped out at me from the top of my list. Well, I thought, a name's as good as any place to start. I put the pen to the card and began to write.

The ink was run out.

I growled, snapping the pen in half with a twist of my fingers. Edward sniggered again, and was soon behind me. His arms snaked around my shoulders and I leaned back into his comforting embrace. I closed my eyes and let his warm voice soothe me as he murmured wordlessly into my ear. With a deep sigh, I relaxed completely and I felt Edward smile against my earlobe, which he had begun to nibble at gently.

"Better?"

I nodded and opened my eyes, turning to look into the golden depths of his own. There was a gleam there that told me he was up to something. I blinked at him slowly and waited.

"I have a present that might make you feel a little better," he told me, pulling out a smallish box wrapped in shiny gold paper and tied in a fancy red ribbon.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Another present?" He nodded. "You do know that it's after Christmas, don't you?"

His expression turned amused again. Still a little irritated about how much I hated hating what I had to do, I unceremoniously ripped the paper open to reveal a flat, black leather box. A word was embossed on the top in fancy silver writing. _Parker._ I flipped the box open, and three beautiful pens were nestled inside – one red, one green and one white – each engraved in familiar handwriting.

_Merry Christmas, Bella. With all of my love, Edward._

I smiled. Alice must have had a vision and told him about what would happen when I tried to write with my pen.

"They're beautiful, Edward. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like them," he replied, kissing me lightly on the lips. "They're your very own Christmas pens – welcome to the family."

I giggled, looking at them again. "I have a question."

"Go ahead," Edward murmured, watching my face curiously. My puzzlement must have been showing on my face.

"Why _three_, Edward?"

He raised an eyebrow, his expression amused again and a little condescending. It appeared that I was missing something very obvious and Edward found that funny. We continued to stare at each other a little longer, until it became apparent that he was not going to tell me what I was missing, and that I was certainly not coming to any sudden understanding.

I shrugged and turned back to my pile of cards. Even with my new pens - which moved across the surface of the cards like a dream - this was going to take all day. But Edward's present had helped make the task seem less gloomy.

_Three __Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	4. Fourth Day

_**A/N – **Well!! The support I have had is just overwhelming! Thank you all sooo much again!! Now, there is a small flaw in my story that a few of you have pointed out to me, and I thank you for doing that. I am told that the Twelve Days of Christmas actually start on Christmas night/Boxing day and finish on a day called Epiphany, 5/6th January. Again, thank you to those who pointed that out to me, and I'm especially glad they did, as that means that I will almost definitely get this done before the end of the Twelve Days!! _

_Also, as a result of this revelation, the previous chapters will be updated to take this into account… I'm sure I can work SOMETHING out. And finally, I would like to take a moment of self-promotion – if you are enjoying this story, I implore you to check out my other Twilight fics (Forever and a Day, and Valentines Day) and even my Harry Potter works. _

_So – I hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas! I hope you didn't forget to remember the reason for the season – the birth of our Lord, Saviour Jesus Christ. He is our most beloved, caring and self-sacrificing brother and I know he loves each and every single one of you.

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**The Fourth Day of Christmas**

_On the fourth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

I eventually finished my cards, sealing and stamping the last envelope just as the sun was rising. I'd been very amused the first time I watched Alice seal and stamp an envelope. Apparently, venom doesn't stick very well – so the Cullens had fashioned a tiny water sprayer which did the trick.

Edward had eventually gotten bored of watching me struggle over my small pile of cards and joined Jasper and Emmet, who were playing their new game on the Playstation. I made my way slowly down the stairs and sat down on the love seat, looking out over the snowy wonderland outside.

I hadn't been sitting there long when the boys' noise died down a little, and Edward joined me by the window. His arm found its way around my waist and I leaned back into his chest.

We sat in silence for a little while, and then Edward gently hooked my chin with his finger and pulled my face around to look at his. His eyes were a creamy brown and the darker ring beneath them was a soft purple. Edward would need to hunt soon. Venom pooled in my mouth with the sudden anticipation of drinking the sweet blood of a deer. Edward's finger traced around my own eyes and he kissed the tip of my nose.

"You're thirsty," he murmured.

I shook my head quickly, swallowing the excess venom in my mouth a little guiltily. "I can wait a little longer."

Edward smiled at that, a small laugh rumbling in his chest. He stood up, pulling me with him.

"There's no reason why we should wait – you're thirsty, I could do with a snack, and we're not doing anything important anyway," he said lightly.

I frowned a little as we made our way to the door. "But, I thought we were supposed to be trying to build my tolerance so that I can start being around humans soon."

Edward gave me a piercing look before he began to run, shaking his head. I followed him, being sure not to outstrip him, still frowning slightly. He glanced over at me, and seeing the perplexity of my expression, explained his response.

"Patience," he advised. "You're only four months old to this life – you are not likely to be in any state of mind to be anywhere near humans for another four months, at the very least."

"But -" I objected, and he cut me off with another shake of the head.

Abruptly, we stopped. With a whiff of the crisp mountain air I noticed that there was nothing more appetising than an owl in the immediate area, and, judging from the mildness of the scent, it was roosting – not very interesting game.

"Why are we stopping?" I asked.

Edward smiled gently.

"I wasn't going to do this today," he said, "but it seems that your present today will have to be a bitter-sweet one."

I was confused. What did he mean 'my present for today'? Christmas was over, New Years was still a little while away, and I wasn't aware that it was any other special occasion. He laughed at my prolonged perplexity, as if I'd missed a very simple joke.

"Will you stay here and wait for me – I shouldn't be too long."

"I thought we were hunting," I protested. He levelled me a steady gaze.

"Just wait here."

oOo

Half an hour later, I'd built a family of snowmen, laid out an army of snow angels and harvested a very convenient mistletoe plant for later. A snapping of twigs alerted me to Edward's return and I sat up a little straighter on my log. Overwhelming his familiar scent, the alluring aroma of warm blood filled my nostrils.

I let out a very quiet growl of satisfaction and I crouched back into the shrubbery behind me. Soon, Edward was in my sights, but it was not him that I looked at. All I could see was the four, warm female deer that he was herding before him.

They were already frightened by Edward, but he had somehow managed to gather them and bring them to me without them doing themselves any harm. The staccato of their separate hearts beating was like music to my ears. My mouth flooded with venom and I crouched deeper, preparing to strike the closest. Hopefully Edward would be able to keep the others from splitting. How good he was to me – though I was a little disappointed that I hadn't got to scrounge them up myself. Still, blood was blood, and deer was my favourite.

Just as I was about to pounce, to try to satiate that insistent thirst that throbbed dryly at the back of my throat, Edward whispered one word.

"Don't."

I paused, only a moment, to look at him. He held his hand extended to me, almost entreating. The sweet smell of the blood was making my head swim and I took another few steps toward the closest doe, which was now petrified into immobility. I was so close – why would he want me to stop?

Edward shook his head, but the thirst was too strong. I growled at him and lunged, taking the deer by the neck and snapping it clean before I tore into the warm flesh and allowed the sweet blood to pump into my mouth. When the first was drained, I moved on to the second, then the third and the last. Edward had no longer attempted to stop me, but sat still on a fallen tree and waited until I was done.

Once I'd extracted the last drop from the final doe and disposed of their bodies, I licked my lips and checked my appearance. Not a smudge on me – I was getting better. Slowly, I made my way to Edward and sat next to him.

"Now do you see?"

He looked into my eyes, compelling me to understand. And I thought that I did. I had just demonstrated exactly how unrefined my sense of restraint was – I'd shown myself just how young I was – and I was a little disgusted with myself. I hadn't even been able to control myself for one minute… and that was just with four deer. Imagine the havoc I could wreak if I was allowed near a human…

Edward's hand rubbing soothing circles on my back made me realise that my breathing had turned erratic. I looked back up at him with a horrified expression and he stroked my hair.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But you need to understand… you seemed to still be under some misapprehension that that kind of resistance is easy. You might not realise it, but for a neophyte of your age, you actually resisted much longer than most."

I concentrated on slowing my breathing and shook my head. The reality check had shaken me, but I knew that Edward was right. There had been a moment, however brief it was, when I had almost lost interest in the temptation before me and thought of something else. I would learn to control myself, it would just require time. Maybe a lot of time.

"You know," Edward interrupted my reverie, "time isn't such a bad thing. I, for myself, am in no hurry for you to go back to the human world for a very long time – you know how much I hate having to share you. And I'm not sure that I could bear the thoughts those dirty teenage boys would indefinitely start thinking once they lay eyes on you."

I smiled and kissed him briefly. Sometimes that I wasn't so sure that he couldn't read my mind – he always seemed to know exactly what to say.

"You're sweet," I murmured. "I think I could do with a little more time alone. I don't have to read minds to know just what those human girls think of you. It wasn't too long ago that I was human myself."

Edward gave me a look of affected surprise and shook his head.

"Well, if I'd known that, I wouldn't have gotten those deer for you. How are you expected to develop decent taste if you are continually subject to lesser quality blood?"

I laughed, a little weakly, at that. "Thank you for those – they were delicious."

"You can't honestly tell me that you prefer a scrawny doe to a good mountain lion… or maybe a small bear?" he asked, incredulously curious. I nodded.

"I think it has to do with how much blood affected me when I was still human," I explained. "Because I reacted to the smell of it so poorly, the stronger taste of the big animals that the rest of you prefer is too… rich for me. Kind of like how some people just can't stand chocolate mud cake, but others wouldn't eat any other type because nothing else is good enough."

Edward nodded, letting that sink in.

"So, even though I upset you a little, you liked my presenting you with four deer?"

"They were simply delectable," I smiled, kissing him again.

_Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	5. Fifth Day

_**A/N - **An update - YAY!! Thank-you again to all of you who have reviewed me on this story - your words of encouragement, wisdom and enjoyment are my muse's food. So keep them coming. I'd also like to thank those who've even gone as far as to add me as a Favourite Author. WOW - that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Okkies then, this one is kind of a make up for the slight scariness of the last chapter. I'll have you know that I was fully expecting everyone to tell me that it was way too heavy for a fluffy christmas fic... but it felt appropriate to me, and y'all seem to agree with me! Anywho - I hope you enjoy the sticky sweetness of this one. And please - read and review!!

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_

**The Fifth Day of Christmas**

_On the fifth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

That night was just as uneventful as any other. Edward and I spent the time curled together on the love seat at the back of the house, watching the snow fall in feather-light blankets of white. Not a sound interrupted the stillness of the night, except for that of each snowflake landing as it settled on top of the others.

But, the next morning Alice was as lively as a Mexican jumping bean. No sooner had the pitch-black of night given way to the slightly less dark grey of a blizzard day, than she was bouncing around the house with the hugest of smiles plastered on her face.

"What's up?" I asked her, when she came to an alarming stop near Edward and I.

Her smile, though it didn't seem remotely possible, grew even wider and she all but pounced on me. Without answering my question, she wrenched me out of Edward's grip and tried to haul me up stairs to our shared bathroom. I held her back before she could drag me more than a yard. It was still refreshing to know that if Alice wanted to forcefully remove me somewhere, she couldn't do it without my permission.

"Bella," she whined. "I have to get you dressed up!"

I raised an eyebrow and tried to stare her down. I knew I wouldn't be able to withstand her wheedling for very long, but perhaps I could at least get her to give me an idea of what was going on.

"Why do I have to get dressed up?"

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Just trust me Bella," she said, briefly glancing over my shoulder, "you need to be dressed up."

The direction of her glance, somehow, didn't surprise me and I looked behind me at Edward still sitting calmly on the love seat. This was his doing. He smiled back at me, with not a sign of surprise at Alice's sudden urge to take me away from him. He nodded encouragement to me and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine," I huffed, preceding Alice up the stairs. "But no make-up – it feels too greasy and gross on my skin now."

Alice squeed and clapped her hands in excitement.

oOo

A good hour later, I was deemed suitable. Alice had twisted my hair into a mess of intricate curls that sat, wriggled and dangled all over and around my head, all held in place with surprisingly few white flower ended bobby pins.

The halter dress she had forced me into was simple enough for me to ignore the obviously designer tags. It was various tones of blue – palest baby blue at the top and gradually fading to indigo at the knee-high hem. The material was soft and flowed around my legs with my every movement like a breath of air. I spun around once, delighting in the wide flare of the skirt. Then I faced Alice, my arms crossed and a stern look on my face.

"What's all this about, Alice?" I demanded in my most commanding voice. She shook her head impishly.

"Won't tell – it would ruin it all," she replied.

"But Alice…" I whined, but she shook her head.

"No Bella – you'll just have to go out there and see for yourself."

I huffed and stomped my bare foot for good measure. I'd been a little surprised, and more than a little relieved, that Alice hadn't strapped a pair of impractical heels to my feet the moment I'd been zipped into my dress. Perhaps she felt that shoes were pointless when there was no one but our family around… yet the sly look she'd given me when I'd asked about the lack of footwear told me that I wasn't entirely right. Another of those excited yet calculating looks were on her face right at that moment, and I didn't like it.

"Just go already!" she nearly screamed.

"Where am I going?" I asked, my voice flat.

Edward's voice, though not loud, called distinctly through the walls separating us. "In our bedroom, sweetheart."

I shivered and opened the bathroom door, padding down the carpeted hall to our room. I paused at the door, taking a steadying breath before I opened it and stepped through. Edward was lying on his back on our golden bed. He was wearing a pair of beige slacks and a black shirt with its sleeves rolled above his elbows and the buttons undone, revealing his beautifully toned torso.

Closing the door gently behind me, I made my way slowly to the bed. Edward's eyes roamed over my body as I walked, and he propped himself up onto his elbows. I stopped beside him, my hands clasped behind my back to control the powerful urge to caress his smooth skin.

"Hello, Edward."

His eyes, his beautiful buttery eyes, flashed back to my face and my favourite crooked smile slowly spread across his face. He sat up completely and beckoned me to come closer.

"Hello, my angel," he greeted me.

If I'd been human, that would have been my cue to blush furiously. Edward seemed to realise that too – I caught the very brief flicker in his eyes that meant that he'd been looking for it. Awkwardly, I cocked my head to the side.

"So… what's the occasion?" I asked.

"I have a present," he replied, reaching for my hand and pulling me to sit beside him.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Another present?"

"Yes, another present," he chortled, trying hard to suppress his amusement.

"What's so funny?" I demanded impatiently. "And I know that you love giving me presents, and I try not to let it bother me too much, but why the truckload lately?"

"You really have no idea?" he asked smugly, skirting the actual question. I shook my head.

"Ah well," he murmured. "You'll figure it out eventually. Now, close your eyes."

"Edward!" I objected. "I really don't find this funny. If y-" His finger pressed against my lips to stop me speaking.

"Just close your eyes."

I obeyed him reluctantly, and I felt him leave the bed for a moment. When he returned he took my hand and pressed a small object into it. My fingers curled around it – it was hard and velvety. A sinking feeling in my stomach told me that it was also insanely expensive.

"Edward, what…"

"You can open your eyes."

I opened them at looked down at my hands. As I'd expected, they held a small black box. Warily, I eased the box open. Nestled in the black satin inside was a shiny rose-gold ring. It was a very simple design – the thin band curved into a 'v' shape at the front, a small diamond set into it at the join, and two placed on each side of it. Five diamonds.

"It's the final third of your wedding ring," he told me. "It fits onto the top of the engagement ring like the wedding band does to the bottom."

Before I could object, Edward seized the ring from the folds of satin and slipped it onto my ring finger. It clicked into place over the antique gold engagement ring that had belonged to his mother. His finger ran over the white gold wedding band.

"Shining white gold for the brightness of our love," he murmured. His finger moved up to the intricate filigree of gold and diamonds in the middle. "Antique gold to remind you that my love for you is timeless…" Then his finger rested on the top, new ring. "… and rose-gold that glows for the hope of our future together."

He looked back into my eyes and I let myself get lost in their smouldering depths. I ached for my own to take that beautiful colour.

"Do you like them?"

I took a brief glance at the rings on my hand. They fit together beautifully, the different colours complementing each other… and I could even ignore the fortune of diamonds they sported now that I knew what they meant. I nodded, gratefully looking back up into his face.

"They're beautiful, Edward. Thank-you."

His eyes burned with an ochre fire, and they slowly left my face to travel down the rest of my body. At some point, I'd shifted to get more comfortable and the skirt of my dress had hitched high up my thigh. His hand traced a cool line from my knee to play with the hem.

"Alice certainly does know what she's doing when she buys you clothes," he murmured appreciatively. I smiled.

"Yes, she does seem to do a sparkling job when I'm not there to tell her what she can and can't buy me," I replied, reaching out to finally stroke the lines of muscle on his chest. He sighed a quiet moan.

"You are simply ravishing – it's absolutely dangerous," he complained weakly, his fingers inching a little further up my thigh.

I pulled myself closer and planted a few brief kisses all over his face. Impatiently, his other hand grasped my chin and pulled my lips to his so that he could devour them. I mentally thanked Alice for the easily removable dress she had put me in and lack of shoes. That made that night just a little more magical…

And all over five diamonds in a hoop of gold.

_a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	6. Sixth and Seventh Days

_**A/N – **New Year's!! Well, I know that I'm running a little bit late, and I thought that Edward would enjoy the opportunity to be sneaky and give two presents pretty much simultaneously, thus keeping Bella unsuspecting... or so he thinks. If any of you are curious about Bella's dress, just Google Image the words 'O-Ring X Back-Green' and it should be the first you find… it's too hard to describe it well without damaging the story. _

_So, here's to the New Year everybody! I hope that the coming days bring the joy and happiness that makes this life so sweet. Please Read and Review, peeps, you know the drill:D

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_

**The Sixth**** & Seventh Days of Christmas**

_On the sixth & seventh days of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

New Year's Eve - yet another day of world wide celebration… and another convenient opportunity for Edward to surprise me with a present. This sudden shower of gifts was starting to wear on my patience; the extravagance of some of them was utterly unnecessary.

Today, the whole family was helping Esme take down the Christmas decorations and replace them with the thousands of twinkle lights for New Years. It seemed such a pity to me that we were the only ones to have seen the festive ornaments – but our house was not exactly an encouraging environment for visitors at the moment. Those of the human variety anyway.

Alice, Rosalie and I had been assigned to the removal of everything Christmas from inside, and the boys were clambering around the roof and front of the house, replacing the Christmas shapes with proclamations of New Year joy under Esme's direction. Everything had to look perfect for our New Year's party with our vampire friends from Denali.

Working with my sisters was a little more awkward than I had become accustomed to. It seemed that everyone in the house was aware of something that was going on except for me. The knowledge was making Alice grin insanely every time she laid eyes on me, and Rosalie had affected an expression that was somewhere between smug and triumphant. It was extremely irritating.

When the rest of the family came inside to help deck out the living room with twinkle lights, it only got worse. Esme's eyes sparkled merrily, Carlisle continually threw me sympathetic smiles and Emmett was actually on the verge of continual laughter. Jasper tried to help ease my frustration, but the random spikes of amusement ruined the artificial calm. And all the while, Edward remained adamantly silent, his perpetual soft smile speaking volumes of its own. Eventually, the strain was too much for me and I cracked.

"That's it!" I cried, jumping up from the couch where I was untangling the lights. "I'm going upstairs – I'll see you all when the others get here."

With that, I stomped my foot for good measure and marched my way upstairs to throw myself onto Edward and my bed. I could hear Emmett's laughter echoing through the floorboards, and the worried tone of Edward's voice. I think Alice convinced him not to come up just yet, and I was glad of that at least – I needed a little time alone if I was going to be in any decent mood for our party that night.

oOo

Edward, uncharacteristically, knocked on the door a few hours later. I'd had plenty of time to cool down, though I was still a little irritated that I couldn't quite work out what it was that everyone else found so funny – I had that nagging inkling at the back of my mind which meant that the answer was right in front of me, dancing out of my grasp.

"Can I come in, love?" he called quietly through the door.

I glided over to the door and opened it for him. He was standing in the doorway awkwardly and I smiled at him gently, pecking him on the lips and pulling him into the room so that I could close the door behind him.

"What do you think I should wear tonight?" I asked lightly, moving to the walk-in-wardrobe and flicking on the light-switch.

Edward remained in the middle of the room, where I'd left him. I turned to see what the matter was, and caught his shocked but reserved expression. It took him a moment to shake off the temporary immobility.

"Aren't… you upset with me?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nope."

"But… before you…" his confusion was sweet and I laughed.

"I'm fine now – I just needed a little bit of time to straighten my brain out. All of the weird looks I've been getting from everyone lately had me a little twisted around, that's all."

"Oh."

I stepped back into the wardrobe, and returned to him a moment later with a silk green cocktail dress draped over one arm and a white with pale green pattern button up shirt and black jeans over the other. Edward took his clothes from me and I carefully laid my dress on the bed so that I could change into it.

I was in the process of trying to figure out exactly how to step into the dress, when I noticed that Edward hadn't moved. I looked at him, and realised that he was staring at me and I laughed, which seemed to break the spell on him. He looked into my eyes, a little dazedly.

"Sorry," he muttered. I noticed that his fingers were twitching before he quickly raised them to pull of his own clothes and change. Quickly, I turned back to my own dress so that I wouldn't get caught staring myself.

When I'd finally figured out which body part went into which hole in the dress, I smoothed it down at the front and turned back to a now fully dressed Edward for him to inspect. I was a little dubious of the extremely deep v-neckline and I tried to shift the silky material so that it didn't reveal quite so much flesh. Edward's hand caught mine to stop my efforts.

"Don't – you look beautiful."

"Really?" I asked, still a little sceptical. "I have another cocktail dress that might look a little nicer, maybe I should change into that instead…"

Edward pulled me into his arms, his fingers tickling the skin exposed by the cross-back of the dress. His breath flowed over my face as he bent his head to place a few kisses along my neck, following the neckline of my dress and I shivered. It was with some effort that he stood back from me and allowed me to quickly duck into the bathroom to fix my hair before we headed downstairs.

It was night outside, and the thousands of fairy lights pricked the darkness, twinkling like earth-bound stars. The living room, too, was lit by the tiny lights, and the television had been switched to the New Years Eve count-down show. Everyone else was already gathered around the room, couples cuddling comfortably together, and conversations flowing over the low-volumed celebrations sounding through the surround sound system.

When we entered the room Tanya, the strawberry blonde vampire who led the clan like ours from Denali, was the first to turn to look at us. I noticed her eyes linger a little longer than necessary on Edward before they moved to me. Her expression seemed friendly enough, but I still felt a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny – I was painfully aware of the preference she had once shown for my husband.

I tightened grip on said husband's arm, and Edward looked down at me with a smile. Making sure that Tanya was still watching us, I stole a kiss, and Edward leaned in willingly, his fingers fluttering up the inside of my arm. I shivered with pleasure and he chuckled, breaking away and leading me to sit with him on the couch.

We spent the evening pleasantly, occasionally singing along with the songs on the New Year's program. At about eleven o'clock, Edward pulled me up from my seat beside him and excused us from everyone in the room, leading me outside. Someone had turned the fairy lights off, so that the only source of illumination was the moon. I looked around, sure that Edward was about to reveal another present… but I couldn't see anything.

"What, no present?" I asked, my eyebrow lifting. He chuckled.

"Just watch," he murmured into my ear. His arms encircled me and his cheek rested lightly on the top of my head.

With a suddenly loud crack, the darkness of the night was broken by a single firework. It exploded in a shower of red sparks. When it had dissipated, it was replaced by three more in quick succession. Their shapes hung in the air long enough to recognise them before they fell into another cascade of random lights –

I 3 U.

I gasped, knowing that tears would have sprung to my eyes if I was human. I could almost feel the moisture brimming, threatening to spill over, but I knew it must only be my imagination. When the message faded to nothing, another two flew into the air, bursting into a rain of green and blue stars and ending the miniature show. Six beautiful fireworks, just for me.

Edward's arms tightened around my waist and I raised my hand to run smoothly through his copper hair. He purred quietly, and I replied with as much content.

"We should go back inside," he murmured, after we'd stood there for a very long time in undisturbed silence. "The count-down to midnight is going to start soon."

We joined everyone in the living room again, and the sound had been turned up louder. The clock on the television soon reached 10 seconds, and we all began to shout –

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five… four… three… _two_… **_one_** – HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

I laughed and popped my party popper with the others, sending streamers all across the room. Edward suddenly caught my face in his hand and pulled me into a dizzying kiss that could have lasted for eternity. Now that breathing was no longer an issue for me, I found that it was much easier for me to imagine kissing Edward forever. Slowly, the kiss broke off, and we found ourselves breathing unnecessarily heavily.

"One," he murmured, then pulled me in again for another, more frenzied kiss. "Two," he said when that one ended, but his lips were quickly on mine yet again. "Three." Even though I knew that I couldn't possibly come to harm from the lack of oxygen, I registered that my head was spinning when he broke away again, just long enough to mutterer, "Four." I was prepared for his renewed onslaught by this time, and my arms wrapped securely around his neck.

"Five," he gasped against my lips, and I took the brief break to shift more comfortably onto his lap. I hoped that Edward's mouth wasn't starting to hurt from the pressure I was exerting to pull his face as close to mine as it could go. My fingers curled into his hair.

"Six," he managed to breathe. The kisses were growing shorter now, and I tried to prolong this one as much as possible. Edward eventually managed to force himself out of my death embrace and we stared into each other's frantic eyes, our breathing coming in ragged gasps. "Seven."

For a while I couldn't muster the breath to speak. I could feel the eyes of everyone else in the room were focussed on us, but I didn't seem to be able to manage to really care. The spell of silence was broken, inevitably, by Emmett, who started to roar with laughter.

"Get a room!" he hooted. "It's supposed to be a midnight kiss, not a make-out session!"

The rest of the room tittered along with Emmett, and went back to their business, continuing their own quiet conversations. Neither Edward, nor I could manage to drag our eyes away from each other. We continued to pant, trying to regain our composure, and a slow smile crept onto my face.

"Wow," I whispered. Edward smiled in return.

"Happy New Year."

_Seven kisses raging,  
__Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
and a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	7. Eighth Day

_**A/N – **__Hey guys, yet another update! Yay! Thank-you (and I'm sure you're sick of this by now) for everyone who have reviewed. I had some very interesting things to think about from some of your comments, and that's fantabulous!! I'd like to bring up one comment in particular from _Nymphadora, _who asked for hints of what Bella's talent is. I'd like to let you all know, that I'm not going to outright say what it is, because I want to save that surprise for my other Twilight fic, _"Forever and a Day". However – _there are slight clues throughout this story. Especially this chapter. Kudos to anyone who guesses, though I kind of doubt anyone will as the references are all a little obscure._

_So here's some more mushy romance for you, I hope you like it! Next chapter's probably going to be a little bit more fun. But, I'd like to put out a little bit of a poll to you. I've decided that I don't really like what I originally came up with for the tenth and eleventh days, but I'm running out of inspiration. Could I have some suggestions??

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**The Eighth day of Christmas**

_On the eighth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

Edward coaxed me deeper into the forest with a tug on my hand. Where we were running, I had no idea – he had blindfolded me, and given me strict instructions not to remove it under any circumstances. I might not know where we were headed, but I knew with absolute certainty that, wherever it was, there was another present waiting.

The ground flew beneath my feet – unidentifiable miles disappearing without acknowledgement. I wondered what it would be this time. I'd spent the day before waiting with nervous impatience for him to produce some new gift, but for some reason it had not appeared. I knew that it wasn't over – he had watched me fidget with an even more overwhelming air of smug amusement – but, when the night quietly slid into this morning, there was still nothing.

I was almost disappointed. Until he'd attacked me with the blindfold again, that is. Which reminded me – I was supposed to be trying to figure out where Edward was leading me.

The pressure of the air around me changed – we'd left the forest. I sniffed at the air delicately, hoping to smell something that could help me identify where we were. A warm, sulphuric smell flooded my nostrils. _That's weird_, I thought, _I didn't know there were any volcanoes in these mountains._

Edward sniggered quietly, though I couldn't see what was so funny. Obviously – I was still blindfolded. A short time (as far as I could tell any length of time, anyway) after we left the trees, Edward brought us to a stop. The sulphuric smell was stronger now, and I could hear a faint bubbling…

"Edward, where are we?" I finally asked, a little warily. If he was going to throw me into a pit of molten rock, then I'd rather know about it before hand.

He sniggered again, and I wondered what my expression was telling him. It was almost as if he could read my thoughts… though that was impossible. His fingers brushed my cheeks as he moved to remove my blindfold. When the cloth had fallen from my eyes, I simply stared.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he asked. I nodded.

We were standing on the ridge of a valley and below us, steam curling in enticing tendrils from their surfaces, bubbled eight hot springs. Thoughts of molten lava now seemed rather silly – Edward was too much of a gentleman for something that childish.

"They're deliciously warm," he hinted, tugging on my hand again. "Don't you want to go for a dip?"

I turned on him slowly, my smile mischievous, and I raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Skinny dipping?" I purred. Edward's answering grin was just as audacious. He shrugged.

"I brought bathers, if you'd prefer," he answered, holding up a duffle bag as evidence. "Why don't you choose one of the pools?"

I nodded, and looked back at the valley below us, trying to determine which was emitting the most steam. Eventually, I decided on one to the far left. It was a cosy looking size, though not so small that our unnaturally cold bodies would leach all its heat, and the thick billows of vapour that wafted from its surface looked promising.

Edward followed my line of sight and smiled.

"Perfect," he murmured, and we walked over to the spring.

oOo

I stood on the edge and looked down into the water. It was a steely grey, and the surface was constantly moving with the lazy bursting of bubbles. The smell wasn't the most pleasant in the world, but the heat radiating from the water was divine. I dipped my toe in experimentally, and shivered with pleasure.

More sure now, I stepped in slowly. Warmth like I'd never known seeped into my skin as I carefully immersed myself, lingering on the experience of creeping heat. When I finally sat on the natural ledge halfway down the wall of the pool, the water up to my neck and my hair fanned out on the rock behind me.

I couldn't get over the warmth. I doubted I'd ever felt so warm at any time that I was human. Even the memories I had of that night I'd spent in Jacob's sweltering embrace didn't compare. The water was slowly sapping the frigid cold out of my muscles, and I was sure that my cheeks would even be flushing red.

Edward was soon beside me in the water. His still cool skin felt amazing – I was sharply aware of his every touch. It was like I was human again, minus the brown eyes.

I looked Edward, and he met my gaze. His eyes widened in surprise and I wondered what he saw, but he leant in and kissed me before I could ask. He, too, was warm now and the sensation was new to me. If it weren't for the lack of a heartbeat, we could very well have passed for humans now.

Edward moved me onto his lap, crushing me closer to his chest. I could no longer smell the sulphur of the natural spring – my head was filled with Edward's sweet scent. I sighed.

"Hmmm…"

I slid my hands over his chest and shoulders, revelling in the feeling of his temporarily warm body against mine. For all I knew, we were the only two people left in the entire world. Not a sound broke the air, except for the unified sound of our two beating hearts.

I gasped, and pulled away from Edward's lips. His eyes were just as frenzied and surprised that I imagined mine were. Had he heard it too? I strained my ears for the sound, but there was nothing to be heard…

Suddenly weary, I slumped against Edward's chest. He stroked my hair, and hummed my lullaby. I hadn't heard that song in a long time – Edward had taken a preference to a newer composition, which he'd written in honour of our wedding, now that I had no need for sleep.

"What was that?" I asked, snuggling my face into the crook of his neck. The luxuriously hot water continued to bubble around us pleasantly. Edward shrugged.

"I'm not sure…"

We sat like that for an immeasurable length of time, and the gently roiling water lulled my sense of unease. I pressed my lips to Edward's throat and his arms tightened infinitesimally around me in reply. I wished that we never had to leave this small heaven.

But, as it inevitably would, the sun began to sink below the horizon and it was time that we got back to our family. Reluctantly, I stepped out of the spring and rubbed myself dry with one of the wonderfully soft towels that Edward had packed before returning to my Alice-chosen designer clothes.

Edward took my hand in his, the warmth of the spring water lingering in our stone flesh but slowly fading. I smiled at him, and he returned a look of such adoration and love that I felt like melting.

"Promise we'll come here again," I pleaded, and his smile widened.

"Of course," he assured me, brushing his fingers along my cheek, before leading me back into the forest toward home.

_Eight __Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven Kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	8. Ninth Day

_**A/N **__**– **__Oooh, aren't you special? I really wanted to catch up to the date in the story (which I think I have now, but I find it so hard to figure out) so I decided to surprise you with two updates on the same day. Have a party! Anywho, this one is a little bit cheeky – sorry if my whacked sense of humour doesn't come across quite right._

_Again, I'd like to let you know that I'm a little desperate for ideas of what to do for the Tenth and Eleventh days. The usual "wow, I love this story, it's so cute!" reviews are appreciated, but I'd love you to help me out. Otherwise the next two chapters are going to be very dodgy and possibly late._

_Okkies the, on with the story – enjoy, read and review! I'm looking forward to lots of suggestions in the morning._ **;D**

_

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_

**The Ninth Day of Christmas**

_On the ninth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

We arrived home late that night, taking the long run at a luxurious pace until it was well into the early hours of morning. No one seemed terribly surprised at our prolonged absence – another testament of how much more they knew about this something than I did – so we weren't too closely questioned.

Esme, always the mother, did lightly scold us for being so long, and Emmett sniggered suggestively when Edward explained that we'd been a little distracted. I was very glad that I didn't have to endure his thoughts, judging by the disgusted look that Edward threw back at our brother. When we were done answering for ourselves, Carlisle made an unexpected – to me at least – announcement.

"We have been invited to spend the day with Tanya and her clan," he said. "So, if everyone could be ready to leave in ten minutes, we will load the cars and go before the sun rises."

I frowned at the revelation, but followed Edward upstairs to change without a fuss. When we reached our room, I cocked my head to the side and he answered the unspoken question in my eyes.

"It's a bit too early for anyone else to be on the roads and if we do pass any humans, the air-conditioner will be on recycle so that you won't be able to catch their scent."

I nodded slowly, pulling a random outfit from my side of the closet and changing into it. The point Edward had made to me with the four female deer was still fresh in my mind, and I was reluctant to come within any distance of humans. I was a dangerous monster after all.

oOo

Despite my worries, we arrived at the mansion in which Tanya, Katrina, Irina, Carmen and her partner Eleazar lived without any incident. And, due to our (yes our, I'd decided shortly after my transformation that my stubborn insistence of obeying the limits was restricting as well as annoying) preference for higher than recommended speeds, I found myself sitting comfortably on a sofa with Edward, talking to Tanya, only half an hour after we left.

After a short while, Edward seemed to grow bored of the small talk – or thoughts – from Tanya, and he left me with the excuse that he had to talk to Carlisle about something. That left me sitting in awkward silence with Tanya.

I watched Edward, trying desperately to think of a way to get away too. I was sure that he knew of my lingering aversion to this enchantress who he'd denied – that was possibly even his reason in leaving me with her alone. It would be just like Edward to try to force me into a sort of friendship. I was lost in my thoughts when Tanya's voice surprised me.

"I heard that you and Edward discovered the pleasures of our springs yesterday," she said. I looked back at her with a start.

"Y-your springs?" I asked. She smiled at me as gently as the sharp slants of her face could allow. Being of Slovakian origin, her skin glowed with an almost normal cream colour that I'd never been capable of achieving even in my human existence.

"Well," she conceded, "they're not actually _ours_, but we were the first to discover them, and it was me who showed Edward where they were when he and the rest of your family were living nearby."

I repressed a shudder at the possible implications of that statement, focussing on being polite. Tanya's almond shaped eyes twinkled knowingly, and I forced a pleasant smile onto my face. _This is just her nature,_ I reminded myself firmly, _she isn't trying to intimidate me. _

"Edward didn't mention that," I confessed. "But it seems that I have you to thank for the beautiful day we spent together yesterday."

I admit it; I was trying to intimidate her. Even if I knew that my hold on Edward was sure, I still felt some sort of primitive need to defend my own. Tanya laughed and waved her hand at my thanks.

"Don't you worry your head, Isabella," she assured me. "And it doesn't surprise me that Edward didn't tell you how he came by the springs. No doubt he thought you would take it the wrong way."

Tanya's frankness with the preference she'd once had for Edward never made me feel any more secure. But again, I reminded myself that she simply thought another way to mine – after all, she was the source behind the myths about succubus vampires. She thought very differently about all men in general.

Suddenly, Tanya stood from the sofa and nodded her head to me formally as if she were about to leave. I stared up at her dumbly and her smile was dazzling as she turned and left the room. I realised that almost everyone else had left the room, leaving me with Kate, Irina and Edward, who came and sat next to me.

The room we were in was very spacious – it must have been, at one point, a small ballroom – and I realised that they were all planning another surprise. As Edward made his way across the highly polished marble floor, I smiled. If he wasn't going to warn me about these surprises, maybe I could enjoy myself by trying to coax what it was out of him.

"I wonder where everyone went," I pondered sweetly. Edward's answering smile was flawless and I heard Kate and Irina giggle quietly – I was right.

"They're doing me a favour," he told me with the air of confidentiality.

"Is it something that I'm going to enjoy?"

Edward chuckled. "Do I ever do anything without your enjoyment in mind?"

I saw my opportunity to poke some fun at him and pursed my lips thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't know if you remember that little matter of our marriage deal," I pointed out with faux seriousness. "And then there's the time that you nearly killed yourself…" Edward took the bait immediately.

"You know very well why I did that," he replied, slightly horrified. "How could you possibly accuse…" I laughed gently and he reproached me with his eyes.

"I try to do something nice for you, and you turn it against me," he accused, his eyes expressing hurt. I couldn't quite tell how serious he was.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I apologised. "I was just taking the Mickey – I didn't mean it."

A loud rap on the elaborate door interrupted our banter. I looked up to see Kate and Irina had moved to a corner of the room where there stood an old grand piano and an assortment of other instruments. Kate was holding a long wooden recorder-like flute to her mouth and Irina had across her lap an instrument that looked like a cross between a harp and a guitar. (?note below)

The door was thrown open and everyone else pranced to the centre of the dance floor in partners, except for Tanya. She, Alice, Rosalie, Esme and Carmen were dressed in the traditional dresses of some old European country – they were brightly coloured, with bold patterns. The men – Eleazar, Carlisle, Jasper and even Emmet – wore jackets of similar pattern and colour over ruffled white shirts and overalls. I guessed they were Slovakian.

Kate and Irina started up a lively, yet somehow haunting, tune and the couples began to dance, with Tanya in the middle, kicking and spinning in tight circles. The effect was hypnotising. I didn't know where I should look – they all stepped around the room so nimbly, excited smiles on their faces as they spun about. And Tanya, in the middle of it all, looked like a Norman princess in a fairytale. But most amazingly of all – they were, all nine of them, dancing for me.

The dance ended with a final twang of Irina's strange harp-guitar and everyone clapped and laughed. I applauded them with a standing ovation, feeling as though I could cry of happiness; I had truly been blessed with wonderful friends and family.

"Did you enjoy that?" Edward asked me and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah – it looks like so much fun!" I exclaimed. Edward's smile turned thoughtful.

"Would you like us to teach you?"

I stared in surprise, as the others all cheered encouragingly. Edward's eyes were bright as he waited for my answer.

"Teach _me_ to dance like _that_?" I clarified, anticipation mounting in my stomach. I was still a bit clumsy for a vampire.

"Oh come on Bella – it's so much fun!" Alice piped up excitedly. I smiled, wavering.

"It's only a combination of a few simple steps," Edward put in quickly, offering me his hand. I gave in with a bigger smile and a nod, letting him take my hand and lead me onto the floor.

"This is easy, Bella – trust me."

And, amazing as it seemed, it was. In no time at all, Edward and I were turning about the room with everyone else – the music infectious, and everyone in fits of laughter by the time we were done.

_Nine Vampires Dancing,  
Eight Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi.

* * *

_

**?Note –** the instruments that the girls are playing are traditional to Slovakia, as is the clothing. Kate is playing a fipple flute and Irina is playing a zither or cithera. If you'd like to see pictures of them, just Google Image them and they will come up. This also applies if you'd like to see the outfits – type in 'Slovakian dress' and it should be the first picture.


	9. Tenth Day

_**A/N – **__Gaaahhhh!! You have no idea how hard it is to think of a something that a vampire could want ten of! I officially hate numbers over five. Eleven is worse – and I desperately need your help, guys. _

_Seriously, don't worry if you think you don't have good ideas (my mum suggested cloves of garlic, so you can't get worse than that!) or you think that it's not very romantic – I just want everyone to pitch in and give me the first thing that pops into your head. Any random thing will do coz you never know if your random idea just might trigger something in my strange brain!_

_Well, you're lucky I scrounged this one out of my mind. It's probably not up to par with the others, but I suppose it'll do. Enjoy, read and review. I'm begging of you – any little thing you'd like to see would be wonderful!

* * *

_

**The Tenth Day of Christmas**

_On the tenth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

I lay sprawled on our large golden bed, my arms crossed behind my head and the ankle of one leg sitting on the knee of the other. My foot tapped in time with the heavy beat of the music that was blaring from Edward's stereo.

Despite the vast range of music that lined the shelves on the wall, I was a little disappointed at how little variety there was. Everything was either so old that it might make me cry or long-winded symphonies by obscure German-sounding composers whose names I couldn't pronounce, and anything that was even close to my era was the grunge/emo stuff that I'd always avoided.

I sighed impatiently and pressed a button on the remote to shuffle the CDs, finally settling on a light classical one. I'd noticed that there was a little space on the end of one of the shelves a few weeks ago - maybe it was about time I asked Alice to get me a few albums next time she was in town. It had already occurred to me that Edward really needed some more modern light music. He probably could even come to like a bit of Dido or Mika if I could get him to listen to them. It would certainly be a refreshing change from the usual Linkin Park and Muse.

At that moment, Edward walked in. A calculating grin spread across my face, imagining the various ways I could force Edward to like my taste in music. It was definitely an entertaining idea.

"What's so funny?" he asked, and I realised that I'd giggled. Whoops. I shrugged.

"Just happy," I replied. Then I pointed to the stereo, the CD it was playing having revealed itself to be quiet depressing after all. "Not that any of you music is contributing to that at all."

It was Edward's turn to smile, and he made his way to the walk-in-closet. I sat up on the bed to watch him as he reached up to the shelf that ran along the walls at the top of the closet to produce a tall, rectangular something which was wrapped in gold paper and topped with a red bow – exactly like the pens he'd given me a few days ago.

He handed it to me with the air of a great reward. I took it and inspected it closely, shaking it for good measure. Something clattered slightly and Edward winced.

"If you want to know what it is, you could just open it," he suggested.

I shrugged and ripped into the paper, which was probably ridiculously expensive, to reveal a plain brown cardboard box. Really curious now, I pulled at the tape that held the top of the box shut and lifted the flaps.

The cover of the Mika album, 'Life in cartoon motion', stared up at me. my forehead creased and I pulled it out to see the next one – Dido, 'No Angel'.

Surprised, I shot Edward a look. He was smiling smugly – very obviously pleased with himself.

"How did you…?"

He motioned to the box. "Keep going," he urged.

I continued to pull out CDs, my amazement mounting as I looked at each one – they were exactly the type of music that I'd been thinking of. How on earth had he known what I was planning?

When I reached the last CD – ten in all - Edward chuckled. I must have looked pretty shell shocked.

"But how did you know?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Alice," he replied simply.

I hadn't thought of that. But it made sense that Alice would see me asking her to buy me a few CDs. I had made that decision already. Having a psychic sister and a mind-reading husband certainly restricted one's privacy, even mine.

"So, are you going to help me listen to these CDs?" I asked, jumping up to replace the throbbing of a heavy metal song that had just started.

I carefully piled the CDs back on top of each other and carried them carefully to the stereo. I even managed to keep them all in a teetering balance – a simple feat for any other vampire than myself, I'm sure. Cheerfully, I placed the Mika CD in, turning the volume nob so that the lively music was probably audible to all in the house.

Edward remained on the bed, a longsuffering expression on his face, as I began to jump around to the music, singing loudly. I grabbed his hand, tugging him to his feet.

"I can be brown, I can be blue, I can be violet sky!" I sang, laughing at the bubbly feeling that had started to grow in me. "Come on Edward, dance with me."

Suddenly, he was leading me in a jive. Enthusiastically, I followed him as he threw and spun me about. He was smiling now, and I was grateful. The song ended, and the next energetic tune began – 'Lollipop'. I squealed with pleasure and jumped up and down, clapping my hands. I felt insanely like Alice.

"I love this song!" I cried. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Am I really going to have to put up with this for all ten CDs?"

_Ten__ CDs sounding,  
Nine Vampires Dancing,  
Eight Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	10. Eleventh Day

_**A/N - **__drum roll please! Well – here it is folks!! I know that it's now after the twelfth day of Christmas, and I'm still on eleven, but I want to finish this anyway – coz it's just so darn fun!! Anywho, thank-you to _pandarama, jade dragon 618, kuroxdoragon _and_ My-Bella _for their fantabulous suggestions – I'm so proud of you all!! But, the idea that set my muse wild came from the insightful _curlyangel_ who, among other things, suggested Edward give Bella 11 roses. Aaawwww!!_

_So, here it is – I hope you think it's as funny as I do... but maybe I've just got a strange sense of humour. Please enjoy, read and review!!

* * *

_

**The Eleventh Day of Christmas**

_On the eleventh day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

I was still enjoying my new, upbeat CDs the next morning. The top half of my body half hanging off the edge of Edward's black leather couch, I waved my arms around my head as if I was conducting the band. It hadn't taken Edward very long to abandon the scene – I suppose there was only so much happy music he could take in one sitting at the moment. I'd soon change that.

Before he left, Edward had said something about needing to go into town again. Or was it just 'I guess I'll see you around then' that he'd half shouted over the music. I couldn't remember – I'd been too involved in my singing, so I hadn't bothered to really answer.

I doubted that he actually went anywhere – more likely he was trying to get me to turn the music off. Well, he'd created a monster now, so he was just going to have to live with it.

oOo

It was late in the afternoon, almost dark, before I decided that it was distinctly distressing that I had not heard from Edward all day. The music couldn't really be that bad, could it? Or, perhaps my wavering pitch was too much for his delicately finetuned pianist hearing.

I clicked the off button on the remote, plunging the room into a deafening silence. I'd have to remember not to play music quite so loud in the future – I wasn't entirely sure that vampires couldn't go deaf.

Quickly I made my way downstairs to the living room, where Jasper and Emmett were battling it out on the Playstation. I was surprised to see that they didn't have the sound on.

"Hey guys," I said brightly. "Do you know where Edward went?"

Neither one of them showed any sign that they heard me at all. They remained as they were, sitting hunched over on the couch with their eyes focussed on the TV screen, their thumbs twiddling with the knobs and buttons on the controls at lightning speed. Maybe they were too concentrated to notice I was talking to them, and I tried again.

"Emmett, Jasper," I said a little louder. "Could you please tell me where Edward is?"

Again, they didn't respond. I frowned. Maybe I had sent them deaf? But, if they were deaf after the music had travelled through several walls and the floor, shouldn't I be deaf too? My eyes strayed to the TV screen and widened in horror – what if it wasn't actually on mute? What if I'd made us all go deaf?!

I ran the few steps between where I was standing and the couch, grabbing Emmett's shoulder in panic.

My giant brother started violently at my sudden attack, jumping back onto Jasper, who also jerked in surprise.

"Emmett – Jasper can you hear me?" I shouted.

They looked at me with bewildered faces, and I felt my panic rising. Would this lack of hearing last forever, or would it wear off? What would Edward say when he found out, if he wasn't deaf as well. I could almost feel the tears of horror pouring down my face.

"Please," I dry sobbed. "Please don't let us be deaf forever!"

Jasper's forehead creased, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he held up his hand for me to wait. His fingers dug into his ears, and he soon produced a pair of small, yellow cones of foam – earplugs.

"Sorry, Bella," Jasper apologised lightly. "We didn't realise you'd finished listening to your music yet. It was awfully loud you know – but I suppose I don't mind that as long as you don't do it all the time."

He nudged Emmett, showing him the earplugs, and Emmett roared with laughter as he pulled his own out with a little difficulty. I watched them in astonishment, not breathing.

"Haha, I forgot we still had them in," Emmett guffawed. "Who'd have thought earplugs could be so damned comfortable?"

I nodded numbly, still getting over the shock. I was sure that I could feel my dead heart pounding frantically – probably a lingering memory of my human reactions. Jasper, obviously noticing the raw jumble of emotion, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked, cautiously.

"I… uh – well," I tried to rearrange my face back into a normal expression. I definitely did not want to tell them what I'd just thought I'd caused. Emmett sniggered.

"Let me guess – you broke Eddie's precious stereo after all the loud music. Am I right?"

I shook the last remnants of surprise and horror out of my head, and even managed a half-hearted giggle at Emmett's suggestion.

"No, no, I haven't broken anything," I said, almost back to normal now. "I was just wondering if you knew where Edward has gone to."

"He went into town with Alice, Esme and Carlisle this morning," Jasper told me, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "They should be home soon."

I nodded, and they continued to look at me like I'd sprouted an extra limb – amusement written all over their faces. I knew that I didn't want to stay in the same room with them any longer, so hurried to the front door.

"Thanks guys! I think I'll just wait for them outside."

oOo

I didn't have to wait very long. I'd only been pacing across the porch for ten minutes when I spotted Carlisle's dark Mercedes emerging through the falling snow. The car disappeared into the garage and, a second later, Edward was crunching is way through the thick snow to me.

Even now, I was not immune to the exquisite beauty of his face, which was lit with my favourite crooked grin. He was too perfect – an absolute miracle. I vaguely noticed that he was walking funny, one arm folded behind his back like he was hiding something. But that fact flew from my mind when he finally reached me.

I took his hand in mine, tugging him slightly closer so that I could kiss him. The kiss was short and sweet, and when he pulled away from me he wore an even more brilliant smile than before. With a flourish, his hand whipped from behind his back to produce a bouquet of multicoloured flowers.

"For you, my sweet," he announced.

I took the bunch from his hands and sniffed delicately at one of the blooms. Their gorgeous scent – sweet and musky – and the line of bell shapes that curved over at the ends were unmistakable.

"Freesias – oh, they're beautiful Edward!"

"Eleven stems of freesias," Edward stated proudly, as though the number was significant. I smiled and buried my face in the bouquet.

"I love them, Edward. Thank-you," I murmured. We'd have to find a vase to sit them in so they wouldn't die – they could go on our bedside table.

Suddenly, Alice had joined us. She looked like she'd been laughing, and as soon as her eyes rested on me, she burst into hysterics once more. I frowned in confusion, and Edward emitted an uncharacteristic snort of amusement before he could control his composure.

"What's so funny?" I asked, sending Alice into another bout of giggles. Eventually, she settled down enough to speak.

"Oh please!" she wailed in a perfect impersonation of my voice. "Please don't let us be deaf forever!"

_Eleven fragrant Freesias,  
Ten CDs sounding,  
Nine Vampires Dancing,  
Eight Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	11. Twelfth Day

_**A/N – **__Before you start this chapter, I'd just like to say that I had already decided that this was going to be Edward's grand finale gift _long _before anyone suggested it! But, kudos to those of you who also thought of it – I was a little bit surprised, though I probably shouldn't have been. We're talking about Edward, after all. _

_Here it is then, a short and sweet one, and there's just one more chapter to wrap this whole thing up! Enjoy!

* * *

_

**The Twelfth Day of Christmas**

_On the twelfth day of Christmas,  
My Edward gave to me,  
_

Would they never let me live it down? I was sulking in the attic – refusing to move from my self-imposed imprisonment until I got an apology for the awful ribbing I'd suffered when the rest of the family had heard of Alice's vision. It was downright embarrassing.

It hadn't taken me long to get tired of the constant laughter and so, with the instructions that I wasn't to be disturbed under any circumstances, I'd stomped up to the attic. Unlike most attics, ours was not dusty and filled with junk. Well, half of it wasn't, at least, and this was the half that I was hiding in.

The house we were living in now didn't have the same spacious living area that our home outside of Forks had had. This meant that there was no room in there for Edward's piano. Previously, this had never been an issue – the piano had simply lived in Edward's room instead.

Of course, that was impossible now that I was living here too.

So the piano had been moved to the attic – where Esme and I had designed a cosy little studio for Edward. We'd painted the walls a soft white, not bothering to stop any drizzles or splatters of paint falling onto the raw pine floor so that the overall effect gave a feeling of relaxed serenity. A white suede couch, on which I was now curled, had been the perfect finishing touch – all of the pale colours making Edward's dark piano the focus of the room.

I pulled my knees a little closer to my chest and continued to stare at the piano. Edward had started giving me lessons recently, as something to pass the time away, but I wasn't sure that I would ever get the hang of it. I was cursed by the clumsiness of my human life – my fingers often fumbled over the notes, especially those in Edward's complex compositions.

Still, the room had a quality that made inspiration easy to find, and I was anxious to translate that into something tangible. Perhaps I could set up a little easel in the opposite corner to the piano, and paint while Edward tinkered. Just like, I imagine, Edward could hear tentative beginnings of melodies floating on the air in here, I often saw tendrils of colour arranging themselves into beautiful, yet vague, works of art.

It was nearly midday the next day when my musing was interrupted by Edward's entrance. He didn't try to talk to me – probably knowing that I wouldn't answer – but walked straight to sit down at the piano. The bright sunlight streamed through the two windows either side of the corner, their light crossing over at the piano like gentle spotlights.

I shifted my position slightly so that the sunbeams would not draw my eyes to Edward in their focal point. He didn't seem to notice.

"These twelve songs I wrote for you, my love," he murmured gently. "Please accept them as my last gifts to you this Yuletide."

And he began to play. Soft waves of sound washed over me, quickly erasing any animosity I'd been harbouring only minutes before. I shifted again so that I could watch him play for me, slowly continuing to relax until I was stretched out on my side. The first piece finished with a tender flourish of notes, and Edward paused a moment to look at my face before he continued to the next.

This next song was a little livelier. I closed my eyes, the better to focus on the melody, and I suddenly knew what Edward had seen as he composed this. A vivid picture of my face was painted by the notes in the darkness behind my eyelids. The picture changed with the music, like a mini-movie – I could see me smiling, laughing gently, and simply being happy.

Each song that followed was the same, somehow capturing the essence of myself in my various moods. It was enchanting, and I found myself marvelling over how well Edward knew me – to my core.

When the last song - my lullaby - had finished, the final notes hanging in the warm air, I opened my eyes. Edward sat, very still, with his fingers still resting lightly on the ivory keys, staring back at me. The peaceful silence stretched on for an infinite moment.

"Thank-you," I finally mouthed, hardly daring to break the silence.

Edward stood slowly. I watched as the mild sunlight glittered off his skin a million rainbows. The air, already shimmering with mites of dust, looked purely magical at that moment.

He knelt down beside me, my own guardian angel. His fingers traced over my face, and I found that I could not move.

"You're always welcome," he murmured.

His face slowly inched closer to mine, painfully but deliciously. When his lips finally met mine, I truly felt like I'd been transported to heaven. I felt completely at peace as his mouth moved in perfect harmony with the motions of my own. It felt like home.

"May I apologise for earlier?" he asked sweetly, when we eventually separated. My expression must have been confused and he explained. "For teasing you about… your worries."

I could see that thinking of the reason behind that teasing still amused him, but I was rational enough to see past the embarrassment to the hilarity. I shook my head, wanting him to kiss me again.

"There's no need," I informed him. "You're already forgiven."

Edward's smile flashed brightly. I knew that it was the one most beautiful thing in my world. Maybe I was in heaven – maybe, somehow, we'd found our way through some portal that had transported us into my personal utopia.

I didn't care where we were exactly; all I needed to know was that Edward was with me, that he loved me, and that we could stay this way for eternity. It was enough.

_Twelve Songs-a-Strumming,  
Eleven fragrant Freesias,  
Ten CDs sounding,  
Nine Vampires Dancing,  
Eight Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi._


	12. Epilogue: 50 years later

_**A/N – **__So, this is the end! I had a request early on in the story that I post the whole song at the very end, and then this idea for an Epilogue occurred to me. I'm not sure if they actually meant that I should go through and do the first day, second day, etc but I think that'd get a little boring to read through again. Anywho, if this is a bit much (and I hope not, coz I think it's cute!) please let me know and I'll get rid of it… heh heh like that's going to happen!

* * *

_

**Fifty years later…**

"What _is_ all this stuff?" I wondered, wrenching open the closest box and peered inside. I scanned over the collection of clothes and memorabilia from the seventies era – they had the distinct aura of Alice about them.

Alice bounced over to look, and squealed with glee when she saw what I had.

"I loved those pants!" she shrieked, pulling out a pair of vibrant orange jeans with extremely wide flares. "These were the talk of the town in the seventies – Edward was so irritable the first day I wore them because everyone was so jealous."

I laughed, avoiding looking too closely at the horrific jeans; they hurt my eyes. Esme joined us, a determined look on her face.

"We're trying to clear out the junk in here, Alice," she said sternly, as Alice continued to rummage through the box, reminiscing. "You're not going to be able to keep everything – everyone's only allowed one box for every thirty years."

Alice sighed, seeming to shrink a little. Rosalie and I laughed at her downcast expression. But Esme had a mother's resilience.

"Can't I at least make it one every twenty years?" she pleaded. "Clothes take up a lot of room."

Esme rolled her eyes and sighed. "Alice dear," she said, now gentle. "I know you get attached to these things, but you have to let go sometime. You have a perfect memory for a reason."

With that, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder, Esme left Alice to her painful sifting. Rosalie sat in the middle of the attic quickly sorting her and Emmett's things into two piles. Her throw-out pile wasn't looking very promising.

I made my way through the piles to the very back corner – to Edward's things. The boy's had all decided that going through boxes wasn't a very manly job, so us girls had got stuck with the job. Which meant that I now had over a hundred year's worth of boxes to sort through. It was a good thing that I'd not kept very much stuff of my own or I'd be there for the rest of my existence.

We worked in silence. It was interesting for me to look through Edward's belongings. Even though we'd been together for fifty years now, and experienced many things together, I still found that Edward could surprise me. I was, perhaps, half way through his surprisingly small number of boxes when I came to one that was very interesting. The label, in Edward's beautiful calligraphy that I still couldn't quite match, said:

_2005-2015 – My first ten years with Bella._

"How sweet," I murmured, opening the box with especial care. I was intrigued as to what he could have possibly thought worth keeping.

On top of the assortment of objects, which looked like they'd been arranged with extra care, sat a small, plain book. I opened it carefully, flipping gently through the delicate pages with wonder. It was his journal.

I snorted quietly at the idea of Edward trusting his deepest thoughts to a scrap of paper. But here it was – an account of our first few years together, in his flowing hand.

I stopped to read a few entries, laughing as I remembered my own perspective on each event described. I'd reached our first Christmas together when a slip of loose paper fluttered to the ground. I picked it up.

It seemed to be a list. I read though it carefully, my eyes widening as I read each item, comprehension dawning on me. I remembered, very clearly, that first Christmas. Edward had seen fit to absolutely drown me in presents that year. He'd never done anything quite like it since, and I'd been too grateful to ever ask what had possessed him to do such a thing that year.

Now, finally, I knew exactly why everyone had been so amused. In my hands, I clutched my very own version of the twelve days of Christmas.

_On the twelve days of Christmas, _

_My true love got from me – _

_Twelve Songs-a-Strumming,  
Eleven fragrant Freesias,  
Ten CDs sounding,  
Nine Vampires Dancing,  
Eight Hot springs bubbling,  
Seven kisses roving,  
Six Fireworks cracking,  
a Five Diamond Ring,  
Four Does in a herd,  
Three Parker Pens,  
Two Snowballs,  
And a brand new, dark blue Audi.

* * *

_

_**Another A/N – **__Well, that's all folks! I really hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd like to take the time to thank everyone who's reviewed, favourited and alerted this story (and myself!! That's such an awesome feeling!). But especially the reviewers – your encouragement and criticism are my air!!_

_Also – if you love my Twilight writing and want more, I'd encourage you to check out my two other fics, if you haven't already. 'Forever and a Day' is my take on Breaking Dawn. It's been going a little slowly because I've been focusing so much on this story, but if you all jump over there and start reading and reviewing it like you have been here, then I'm positive that it'll pick up speed!! The other fic, 'Valentines Day', is a one-shot songfic about Edward. I won't say any more about it other than – you might need a tissue. _

_And finally, I have a little bit of bad news. I'm moving. Not that any of you really care that much where I live, but there is the problem that I might not have access to the internet (or a computer for that matter) for… maybe a month, two at the most? I'll make sure I'm writing the old fashioned way, so that I have plenty when I finally do get to update, but be patient with me, ok?_


End file.
